FIFA and the Saudi Esports Federation have officially announced the postponement of the FIFAe Finals 2026 esports tournament. Competitions in eFootball Console, eFootball Mobile, and Rocket League were scheduled to take place from October 16 to 25 in Jeddah. A new date for the event remains unknown at this time.
According to FIFA, this year's qualification cycle set a record for FIFAe competitions, encompassing over 120 national teams. Representatives from 29 countries were set to compete in the final stage. The eFootball Console and eFootball Mobile tournaments featured 12 national teams each, while Rocket League had 16. Since several teams qualified for multiple disciplines, the total number of unique participating countries was 29.
In an official statement, the organizers explained that the decision to postpone was made following an assessment of recent developments in the region and their impact on the event's logistics, including flights, accommodation, and operational processes. Further updates will be announced in due course.
At the same time, it is reported that the main reason for the tournament's disruption was a mass withdrawal of teams. Even before the official postponement announcement, the national teams of five countries — Japan, Italy, Brazil, Mexico, and Georgia — decided to withdraw from the competition, expressing concerns regarding player safety amid the regional conflict.
The situation in the Middle East continues to significantly impact the esports industry, forcing organizers to revise plans for other major events:
- Esports World Cup: Due to massive air travel disruptions, the tournament had to be relocated from Riyadh to Paris earlier this year.
- Esports Nations Cup: The inaugural national team tournament, scheduled for November in Riyadh, has been delayed for a full year until November 2027.
As a reminder: Age of Empires — How Civilization and Warcraft Helped Create a Legendary Strategy Game